Effects of surfactants on aqueous foams properties: a step towards mineral foams

Nourhan Mortada (1) , Annabelle Phelipot-Mardele (1) , Christophe Lanos (1)

1 LGCGM - Laboratoire de Génie Civil et Génie Mécanique

This study focus on foaming properties of three surfactants: alpha-olefin sulphonate sodium salt (Hostapur OSB), Trimethyl tetradecyl ammonium bromide (Cetrimide) and Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) usable for mineral foaming. The ability of these surfactants to reduce surface tension is evaluated. Foamability and foam stability of aqueous foams made up with these surfactants are assessed at different concentrations, using the Dynamic Foam Analyzer providing parameters which describe the foaming and decay phases. They considerably depend on the type of surfactant and its concentration. By analysing the bubble size distribution, the relationship between the stability and the foam structure can be observed. The Hostapur OSB appears to be the most efficient surfactant in terms of stability and foamability, representing the thinnest foam structure and the highest characteristic times (deviation, transition and half-life) at CMC (critical micelle concentration).

Mots clés: Foamability; stability; foam structure; surfactant; surface tension

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Nourhan Mortada, Annabelle Phelipot-Mardele, Christophe Lanos. Effects of surfactants on aqueous foams properties: a step towards mineral foams. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2022, 26 (14), pp.7307-7318. ⟨10.1080/19648189.2021.1986139⟩. ⟨hal-03414233⟩